I for one am a huge fan of TED talks. They are self proclaimed "Riveting talks by remarkable people, free to the world". Occasionally one really strikes my fancy, as was the case with the talk given by Brian Skerry.

Brian Skerry is a photojournalist who captures images that not only celebrate the mystery and beauty of the sea but also bring attention to the pressing issue which endanger our oceans. Using the camera as his tool of communication, Brian Skerry has spent the past three decades telling the stories of the ocean. His images portray not only the aesthetic wonder of the ocean but display an intense journalistic drive for relevance. Skerry's work brings to light the many pressing issues facing our oceans and its inhabitants. Typically spending eight months of the year in the field, he often face extreme conditions to capture his subjects. He has lived on the bottom of the sea, spent months aboard fishing boats and dived beneath the Arctic ice to get his shot. He has spent over 10,000 hours underwater.

A contract photographer for National Geographic Magazine since 1998, Brian Skerry has had twelve stories published in the magazine with several more upcoming.

To read more about Brian Skerry, check out his amazing website full of fantastic high res images from the mysterious deep here. His photography really piques the inner-child fantasy I've always had about the ocean. Travelling by boat over open water has always left me wishing I could know just what was swimming about underneath the hull, living quietly in the deep.